ATTACHMENT OF COMPOSITE ARTICLE
A composite article including composite component extending heightwise from a component base to a component tip and lengthwise between spaced apart component first and second edges. Component plies having widthwise spaced apart ply first and second sides and ply edges therebetween. Component mounted on a spar which includes a shank extending heightwise into the composite component, tab at upper end of shank and substantially or fully embedded in the composite component, and tab tip. Ply edges of at least a first portion of the plies directly or indirectly contacting or pressing against the tab. Ply edges of at least a second portion of the plies may directly or indirectly contact or press against the tab tip. Ply edges of first portion may press against one or more indented or recessed surfaces in the tab. The composite article may be a composite blade or vane including a composite airfoil.
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to gas turbine engine composite airfoils and, particularly, for metallic attachments for composite airfoils for mounting in aircraft gas turbine engines.
2. Description of Related Art
Bypass gas turbine engines of the turbofan type generally includes a forward fan and booster compressor, a middle core engine, and an aft low pressure power turbine. A low pressure turbine rotatably drives the fan and booster compressor via a low pressure shaft, all of which form the low pressure rotor. Composite airfoils have been developed for and used in blades for rotatable stages of the booster compressor and in stator vanes disposed between and upstream and downstream of the blades as well in other sections of the engine such as in the fan section (fan outlet guide vanes).
It is known to manufacture aircraft gas turbine engine blade and vane airfoils from composite materials. It is difficult to attach the composite airfoils to a metallic attachment for mounting the blade or vane to a metallic rotor or stator portion of the engine. This is a challenge due to the magnitude of loads and limited size of the components. Typically, the attachments of these composite parts are the challenging part of that implementation. Typically, it is desired to have an integral composite/metallic system that takes advantage of the composite weight reduction and complex machining of a metallic interface. Joining these two systems in the past has been by simple adhesive bonds. These bonds are subject to forces and moments that tend to dislodge the composite airfoils from a metallic mount of the blade or vane.
It is highly desirable to provide mounts for securely and robustly mounting composite airfoils in both gas turbine engine rotor and fan frame assemblies that resist forces and moments that tend to dislodge the composite airfoils from a metallic mount of the blade or vane and that will enhance the life of the airfoils and the fan frame assembly. In a broader sense, it is highly desirable to provide mounts for securely and robustly mounting composite parts that resist forces and moments that tend to dislodge composite elements from metallic mounts on the part.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA composite article includes a composite component extending heightwise from a component base to a component tip and lengthwise between spaced apart component first and second edges. The composite component includes plies having widthwise spaced apart ply first and second sides and ply edges therebetween. The composite component is mounted on a spar including a shank extending heightwise from below the component base up through the component base into the composite component, a tab at an upper end of shank and substantially or fully embedded in the composite component, the tab including heightwise spaced apart tab base and tab tip, and the ply edges of at least a first portion of the plies directly or indirectly contacting or pressing against the tab.
The composite article may include one or more indented or recessed surfaces in the tab between heightwise spaced apart tab base and tab tip and the ply edges of at least a first portion of the plies directly or indirectly contact or press against the indented or recessed surfaces and one or more indented or recessed surfaces in the tab between heightwise spaced apart tab base and tab tip.
The ply edges of at least a second portion of the plies may directly or indirectly contact or press against the tab tip. The indented or recessed surfaces may define corresponding indentations or recesses having circular cross sections.
The one or more indented or recessed surfaces of the composite article may include one or more widthwise spaced apart indented or recessed surfaces defining a widthwise taper between the tab base. The taper may taper down in thickness from the tab tip towards the tab base. The ply edges of at least a second portion of the plies may directly or indirectly contact or press against the tab tip.
The composite article may include hooking means for hooking some of the plies of the composite airfoil and be disposed along widthwise spaced apart tab first and second sides of the tab. The hooking means includes hooks disposed along lengthwise spaced apart tab first and second edges of the tab and the one or more indented or recessed surfaces include corners between the hooks and the widthwise spaced apart tab first and second sides. The hooks may include continuous leading first and second edge hook disposed along the lengthwise spaced apart tab first and second edges respectively. Another embodiment of the hooks may include alternating first and second side hooks extending alternatingly outwardly from the tab first and second sides respectively along each of the lengthwise spaced apart tab first and second edges. The hooks may be stepped hooks and each of the stepped hooks include hook steps with runs widthwise separated by rises.
The composite article may be a composite blade or vane including a composite airfoil having widthwise spaced apart airfoil pressure and suction sides extending heightwise or spanwise and outwardly from an airfoil base to an airfoil tip and lengthwise or chordwise between spaced apart airfoil leading and trailing edges. The composite airfoil includes plies having widthwise spaced apart ply pressure and suction sides and ply edges therebetween. The composite airfoil is mounted on a spar including a shank extending heightwise from below the airfoil base up through the airfoil base into the composite airfoil. A tab at an upper end of the shank is substantially or fully embedded in the composite airfoil. One or more indented or recessed surfaces are in the tab between heightwise spaced apart tab base and tab tip. The ply edges of at least a first portion of the plies directly or indirectly contact or press against the indented or recessed surfaces. The spar may be metallic.
The foregoing aspects and other features of the invention are explained in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings where:
Illustrated in
In typical operation, air 26 is pressurized by the fan 14 and an inner portion of this air is channeled through the low pressure compressor 16 which further pressurizes the air. The pressurized air is then flowed to the high pressure compressor 18 which further pressurizes the air. The pressurized air is mixed with fuel in the combustor 20 for generating hot combustion gases 28 that flow downstream in turn through the HPT 22 and the LPT 24. Energy is extracted in the two turbines for powering the fan 14, low pressure compressor 16, and the high pressure compressor 18. A flow splitter 34 surrounding the booster compressor 16 immediately behind the fan 14 includes a sharp leading edge which splits the fan air 26 pressurized by the fan 14 into a radially inner stream 27 channeled through the booster compressor 16 and a radially outer stream 29 channeled through the bypass duct 36.
A fan nacelle 30 surrounding the fan 14 is supported by an annular fan frame 32. The low pressure compressor 16 is suitably joined to the fan 14 forward of the fan frame 32, is disposed radially inboard of the annular flow splitter 34, and is spaced radially inwardly from an inner surface of the fan nacelle 30 to partially define an annular fan bypass duct 36 therebetween. The fan frame 32 supports the nacelle 30.
The compressor 16 has rotatable first, second, and third compressor stages 38, 40, 42 with first, second, and third compressor blade rows 48, 50, 52, respectively. Compressor blades 17 of the first, second, and third compressor blade rows 48, 50, 52 extend radially outwardly from a rotatable hub 46 connected to the fan 14. The compressor 16 has non-rotatable first and second vane stages 62, 64 with first and second vane rows 66, 68, respectively. Compressor vanes 65 of the first and second vane stages 62, 64 extend radially inwardly from a non-rotatable shell or outer band 69 or other annular structure fixedly connected to a forward or fan frame 32. The first, second, and third compressor blade rows 48, 50, 52 are interdigitated with the first and second vane rows 66, 68. The compressor blades and vanes 17, 65 may include composite airfoils. It is also known to mount compressor blades having composite airfoils to disks or drums of gas turbine engines.
Illustrated in
The composite airfoil 72 is mounted on a spar 82 including a shank 84 extending from below the airfoil base 74 up through the airfoil base 74 into the composite airfoil 72. The spar 82 may be made of a material substantially harder than that of the composite airfoil 72. The spar material may be metallic. The spar 82 includes a tab 86 at an upper end 87 of the shank 84. The tab 86 is either substantially or fully embedded in the composite airfoil 72 and may be substantially wider than the shank 84 in a generally chordal direction between the airfoil leading and trailing edges LE, TE.
The tab 86 includes widthwise spaced apart tab pressure and suction sides 91, 93 extending outwardly from a tab base 94 to a tab tip 96. The tab pressure and suction sides 91, 93 correspond to the airfoil pressure and suction sides 71, 73. The tab 86 includes widthwise spaced apart tab leading and trailing edges TLE, TTE at or near tab forward and aft ends 88, 90 of the tab 86. The exemplary embodiment of the tab 86 is fully embedded in the composite airfoil 72 and the tab base 94 (as illustrated herein) is flush with the airfoil base 74. The tab 86 may be embedded deeper into the composite airfoil 72 such that the tab base 94 is spaced inwardly of airfoil base 74.
The spar 82 and the tab 86 provide a means to mount the composite airfoil 72 on a rotor or static structure of the engine. The tab 86 is designed to resist forces F and moments M illustrated in
The composite airfoil 72 is made up of filament reinforced laminations 100 formed from a composite material lay-up 106 of filament reinforced composite plies 11 (illustrated in
Referring to
The tab 86 has forward and aft indented or recessed surfaces 120, 122 between the tab base 94 and the tab tip 96. The forward and aft indented or recessed surfaces 120, 122 are indented or recessed inwardly into the tab 86 from the tab leading and trailing edges TLE, TTE at or near the tab base 94 and/or the tab tip 96. The forward and aft indented or recessed surfaces 120, 122 are illustrated herein as being along the tab leading and trailing edges TLE, TTE as illustrated in
The exemplary tab 86 illustrated herein may also have in addition or alone widthwise spaced apart first and second or pressure and suction side recessed surfaces 140, 142 of the tab 86 between the tab base 94 and the tab tip 96 and between the tab leading and trailing edges TLE, TTE as illustrated in
The composite airfoil 72 includes many of the plies 11 that directly or indirectly press against the forward and aft indented or recessed surfaces 120, 122 of the tab 86 in the forward and aft recesses 130, 132 and in the pressure and suction side recesses 150, 152 as illustrated in
Illustrated in
Alternatively, the hooks 162 may be arranged with alternating pressure and suction side hooks 163, 165 extending alternatingly outwardly from the tab pressure and suction sides 91, 93 along each of the tab leading and trailing edges TLE, TTE as illustrated in
Illustrated in
Illustrated in
Illustrated in
Illustrated in
Illustrated in
Referring to
Two or more of the ply edges 114, at least one ply first side 111, and at least one ply second side 113 directly or indirectly press against the tab 86 to help mechanically secure the composite component 372 to the tab 86. The ply edges 114 indirectly press against the tab 86 by pressing against cured or hardened resin filled pocket 118 between the ply edge 114 and the tab 86. The composite component 372 is mounted and mechanically secured to the tab 86 as described above for the composite airfoil 72.
The present invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. While there have been described herein, what are considered to be preferred and exemplary embodiments of the present invention, other modifications of the invention shall be apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings herein and, it is, therefore, desired to be secured in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
Accordingly, what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is the invention as defined and differentiated in the following claims:
Claims
1. A composite article comprising:
- a composite component extending heightwise from a component base to a component tip and lengthwise between spaced apart component first and second edges,
- the composite component including plies having widthwise spaced apart ply first and second sides and ply edges therebetween,
- the composite component mounted on a spar including a shank extending heightwise from below the component base up through the component base into the composite component,
- a tab at an upper end of shank and substantially or fully embedded in the composite component,
- the tab including heightwise spaced apart tab base and tab tip, and
- the ply edges of at least a first portion of the plies directly or indirectly contacting or pressing against the tab.
2. The composite article as claimed in claim 1 further comprising hooking means for hooking some of the plies of the composite airfoil,
- the hooking means disposed along widthwise spaced apart tab first and second sides of the tab,
- the hooking means including hooks disposed along lengthwise spaced apart tab first and second edges, and
- the one or more indented or recessed surfaces including corners between the hooks and the widthwise spaced apart tab first and second sides.
3. The composite article as claimed in claim 2 further comprising the hooks including continuous leading first and second edge hook disposed along the lengthwise spaced apart tab first and second edges respectively.
4. The composite article as claimed in claim 2 further comprising the hooks including alternating first and second side hooks extending alternatingly outwardly from the tab first and second sides respectively along each of the lengthwise spaced apart tab first and second edges.
5. The composite article as claimed in claim 4 further comprising the hooks being stepped hooks and each of the stepped hooks including hook steps with runs widthwise separated by rises.
6. The composite article as claimed in claim 5 further comprising the rises having a height equal to or one or more times greater than a thickness of the plies.
7. The composite article as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the ply edges of at least a second portion of the plies directly or indirectly contacting or pressing against the tab tip.
8. The composite article as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:
- one or more indented or recessed surfaces in the tab between heightwise spaced apart tab base and tab tip, and
- the ply edges of at least a first portion of the plies directly or indirectly contacting or pressing against the indented or recessed surfaces.
9. The composite article as claimed in claim 8 further comprising the ply edges of at least a second portion of the plies directly or indirectly contacting or pressing against the tab tip.
10. The composite article as claimed in claim 8 further comprising the one or more indented or recessed surfaces defining corresponding one or more indentations or recesses having circular cross sections.
11. The composite article as claimed in claim 8 further comprising the one or more indented or recessed surfaces including one or more widthwise spaced apart indented or recessed surfaces defining a widthwise taper between the tab base.
12. The composite article as claimed in claim 11 further comprising the widthwise taper tapering down in thickness from the tab tip towards the tab base.
13. The composite article as claimed in claim 12 further comprising the ply edges of at least a second portion of the plies directly or indirectly contacting or pressing against the tab tip.
14. The composite article as claimed in claim 8 further comprising:
- hooking means for hooking some of the plies of the composite airfoil,
- the hooking means disposed along widthwise spaced apart tab first and second sides of the tab,
- the hooking means including hooks disposed along lengthwise spaced apart tab first and second edges, and
- the one or more indented or recessed surfaces including corners between the hooks and the widthwise spaced apart tab first and second sides.
15. The composite article as claimed in claim 14 further comprising the hooks including continuous leading first and second edge hook disposed along the lengthwise spaced apart tab first and second edges respectively.
16. The composite article as claimed in claim 14 further comprising the hooks including alternating first and second side hooks extending alternatingly outwardly from the tab first and second sides respectively along each of the lengthwise spaced apart tab first and second edges.
17. The composite article as claimed in claim 16 further comprising the hooks being stepped hooks and each of the stepped hooks including hook steps with runs widthwise separated by rises.
18. The composite article as claimed in claim 17 further comprising the rises having a height equal to or one or more times greater than a thickness of the plies.
19. A composite blade or vane comprising:
- a composite airfoil including widthwise spaced apart airfoil pressure and suction sides extending heightwise or spanwise and outwardly from an airfoil base to an airfoil tip and lengthwise or chordwise between spaced apart airfoil leading and trailing edges,
- the composite airfoil including plies having widthwise spaced apart ply pressure and suction sides and ply edges therebetween,
- the composite airfoil mounted on a spar including a shank extending heightwise from below the airfoil base up through the airfoil base into the composite airfoil,
- a tab at an upper end of shank and substantially or fully embedded in the composite airfoil,
- the tab including spanwise spaced apart tab base and tab tip, and
- the ply edges of at least a first portion of the plies directly or indirectly contacting or pressing against the tab.
20. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 19 further comprising one or more indented or recessed surfaces in the tab between heightwise spaced apart tab base and tab tip, and the ply edges of at least a first portion of the plies directly or indirectly contacting or pressing against the indented or recessed surfaces.
21. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 20 further comprising the ply edges of at least a second portion of the plies directly or indirectly contacting or pressing against the tab tip.
22. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 21 further comprising the one or more indented or recessed surfaces defining corresponding one or more indentations or recesses having circular cross sections.
23. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 21 further comprising the one or more indented or recessed surfaces including one or more widthwise spaced apart indented or recessed surfaces defining a widthwise taper between the tab base.
24. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 23 further comprising the widthwise taper tapering down in thickness from the tab tip towards the tab base.
25. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 24 further comprising the ply edges of at least a second portion of the plies directly or indirectly contacting or pressing against the tab tip.
26. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 21 further comprising:
- hooking means for hooking some of the plies of the composite airfoil,
- the hooking means disposed along widthwise spaced apart tab first and second sides of the tab,
- the hooking means including hooks disposed along lengthwise spaced apart tab first and second edges, and
- the one or more indented or recessed surfaces including corners between the hooks and the widthwise spaced apart tab first and second sides.
27. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 26 further comprising the hooks including continuous leading first and second edge hook disposed along the lengthwise spaced apart tab first and second edges respectively.
28. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 26 further comprising the hooks including alternating first and second side hooks extending alternatingly outwardly from the tab first and second sides respectively along each of the lengthwise spaced apart tab first and second edges.
29. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 28 further comprising the hooks being stepped hooks and each of the stepped hooks including hook steps with runs widthwise separated by rises.
30. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 29 further comprising the rises having a height equal to or one or more times greater than a thickness of the plies.
31. The composite blade or vane as claimed in claim 19 further comprising the spar being metallic.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 10, 2012
Publication Date: Jun 12, 2014
Patent Grant number: 9777579
Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY (Schenectady, NY)
Inventors: Nicholas Joseph Kray (Mason, OH), Scott Roger Finn (Montgomery, OH), Peggy Lynn Baehmann (Glenville, NY), Dong-Jin Shim (Cohoes, NY), Gregory Carl Gemeinhardt (Park Hills, KY)
Application Number: 13/709,559
International Classification: F01D 5/14 (20060101);